Etymologically
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coetus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈkoe̯.tʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈt͡ʃɛː.tus][1]

Forms

coetus m (genitive coetūs); fourth declension[1]

Etymology

It is formed from coeō (“to come together”) with the suffix -tus; it is a variant of coitus.[2][1][3] The verb is con- with eō (“to go”), which de Vaan traces to Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- (“to go”).[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler finds it first in the Twelve Tables.[5] In Plautus' Amphitruo the Theban army beat the enemy prīmō coetū, “at the first encounter”.[2]

Semantic evolution

It is a meeting or encounter, and in Gellius the conjunction of planets.[2] It is a union, as of a kiss, and above all a gathering or crowd, as Cicero's meetings in Plato's Academy, a political assembly (Livy), and secret or unlawful meetings, as the night that cannot hide Catiline's wicked gatherings.[2] It is a band or company, as Ennius' unknown company of young men, and in Seneca of stars; with hominum it is society, as Cicero's delight in the company of friends at dinner.[2]

Church Latin glosses it “a meeting together, assembly, group; sexual union”.[6] Wiktionary gives Church Latin “group, society”.[1]

Timeline

  • c. 450 BC – the Twelve Tables.[5]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus of an encounter in battle.[2][5]
  • 204–169 BC – Ennius of a band of young men.[2][5]
  • 81–43 BC – Cicero of gatherings and society.[2][5]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius of the conjunction of planets.[2][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A meeting, encounter;[2][1] (of planets) a conjunction.[2][1]
  2. A union, joining.[2][1][6]
  3. A gathering, assembly, crowd; a secret meeting.[2][1][6]
  4. A band, company, circle.[2][6]
  5. Society, company.[2][1]
  6. (Ecclesiastical Latin) Sexual union.[6]

Usage notes

Döderlein counts coetus and conventus as voluntary gatherings, as against concilium, cōntiō and comitia, which are summoned: coetus for any end, social or conspiratorial, conventus for a serious one such as a festival or a speech.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  5. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  6. ^ a b c d e Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson
  7. ^ Döderlein, Ludwig (1874), Döderlein’s Hand-book of Latin Synonymes, tr. H. H. Arnold, Andover: W. F. Draper